Excavations of a mass grave with the remains of nearly 800 children have begun in Ireland

In Ireland, the exhumation of the remains of children buried at homes for unmarried mothers begins. Nuns buried the deceased anonymously, keeping no records.

In Tuam, western Ireland, excavations of unmarked graves have begun, where decades ago local nuns buried newborns taken from unmarried girls.

A burial site with approximately 800 bodies was discovered at the former mother and baby home, which operated under the patronage of the "Bon Secour" religious order. It is reported that the nuns provided shelter for unmarried pregnant women and young mothers, but separated them from their children.

The remains of infants in Tuam were found thanks to the research of a local historian who gathered testimonies about how the homes treated the taken babies in case of their death - burying them anonymously, keeping no records. Child mortality in such institutions reached 15%.

The last Catholic homes for children born out of wedlock closed in Ireland in 1998. It is estimated that during their existence, 9,000 infants died there, but the burial in Tuam is the largest.

The work of exhumation, analysis, and possibly identification of remains may take two years. Experts from other countries will come to assist Irish specialists. Local authorities promise to rebury all found children with dignity.